I 've been reading various forums for ages, but only recently found the nerve to post. Co-incidentally, I also was a big fan of Stan and Garnet. I met Stan once briefly in Winnipeg, thrugh the people who used to run the big folk festival.

It was kind of fun to see my two obsessions, skating and Clay, in the same arena.

Gee, I didn't know we share yet another interest, noskates! I have stopped watching American Idol but at that time when Clay Atkin was a competitor, I was rooting for him! I love his version of Mack the Knife and Bridge over Troubled Water. I have his first CD.

I 've been reading various forums for ages, but only recently found the nerve to post. Co-incidentally, I also was a big fan of Stan and Garnet. I met Stan once briefly in Winnipeg, thrugh the people who used to run the big folk festival.

Welcome aboard! Post long and often, as they say! It took me a long time to start posting too. Glad to know there are other old folkies here.

Wow. Some of us do have the same taste. Another Aiken fan here. Just this morning I told a friend about my Hat Trick For Patrick campaign, and that Patrick also once got a pair of panties thrown on ice.Then I brought up Clay Aiken who had red tongs thrown at him on stage during the AI tour. When he came to Toronto, Claynadians threw him a red onesie on the back of which was printed "100% Genuine Canadian Winter Tong".

Spiky, you should get Clay's On My Way Here Album, one of the unrecognized best albums ever. His first one sold well because of the AI momentum but it was in no way near the quality of OMWH.

There was acutally a campaign or at least a suggestion - I've forgotten where -perhaps not even a forum, to throw Patrick panties when he turned 21- i.e Grown up, not a kid who needed stuffed toys anymore. I believe it was last year National's, or the Grand Prix in Quebec, because I know I was there. More than one pair arrived on the ice in clear plantic wrap, and some flat packages that looked the right size. I remember PAtrick saw a pair and did a double take, but the little girls got the others. It was amusing, but (dare I say it,) in my day, the whole point of throwing panties at Tom Jones or Bruce Springsteen or whoever (not Stan) was that one took them off and threw them. That kind of thing would not be appropriate in a cold arena with these young skaters, and therefore I thought it a little lame. A Kurt show, on the other hand.....

I 've been reading various forums for ages, but only recently found the nerve to post. Co-incidentally, I also was a big fan of Stan and Garnet. I met Stan once briefly in Winnipeg, thrugh the people who used to run the big folk festival.

I am soooo jealous.

I would like to say that I have had two encounters with Judy Collins. One was years ago after a concert, very brief and stammering on my part, and another was when she was traveling around to promote her book a few years ago. I was at a bookstore when she gave her presentation, which included reminiscences and some singing. I was astounded to hear how well maintained her voice is. She ended with an a cappella rendition of "Amazing Grace" and invited everyone to sing along. I was way, way in the back, so I felt confident enough to join in. So in a way I've gotten to sing with Judy Collins. (Thank God she couldn't hear me.)

SF, I love that phrase a hat trick for Patrick. What a great play on words. Whoever thought that up must have been so jazzed by the idea.

It is a great idea, oh clever skatefiguring. And the word is spreading. We should keep it off twitter though, as PChiddy does follow quite a few. We can't throw dollars at the exhibition, which would have been really good, given the song. Would there were paper ones still.

Hi Spikey! Long time no see! I only wish I had seen Kurt skate as many times as I've seen Clay in person (California 8 times, Massachusetts, New York (on Broadway in Spamalot) Toronto, Texas, Nevada twice, Washington, Kansas, North Carolina.......) Skatefiguring were you at Clay's Jukebox Tour? Or the AI tour in Toronto?

BUT - I am going to Nationals in Boston next year! Can hardly wait since it's an Olympic year. Went to Nationals in San Jose last year, which was an easy trip. Figure skating is just getting wayyyyyyyyyy too expensive though.

If I can find "Jump" I would be glad to loan it to anyone. I'll post in here if I find the book. I've moved a couple of times since I read it and it could be anywhere.

Hope we can meet up in Boston! We'll probably take the train from Philly to get there. May I borrow "Jump" @ some point?

Originally Posted by Coriana

I'm going to SOI too, but will be in the relatively cheap seats. I have sat in Ice Seats and really loved the experience , but it was chilly round the feet.

Welcome to GS, Coriana! When you do have on ice seats, you definitely need to bundle up (dress in layers). Some rinks are colder than others. Case in point - Ice Works in Aston, PA - Doris P. can attest to that too.

Originally Posted by Olympia

I would like to say that I have had two encounters with Judy Collins. One was years ago after a concert, very brief and stammering on my part, and another was when she was traveling around to promote her book a few years ago. I was at a bookstore when she gave her presentation, which included reminiscences and some singing. I was astounded to hear how well maintained her voice is. She ended with an a capella rendition of "Amazing Grace" and invited everyone to sing along. I was way, way in the back, so I felt confident enough to join in. So in a way I've gotten to sing with Judy Collins. (Thank God she couldn't hear me.)

SF, I love that phrase a hat trick for Patrick. What a great play on words. Whoever thought that up must have been so jazzed by the idea.

Great story about Judy Collins & neat idea for a hat trick for Patrick.

Originally Posted by SkateFiguring

I started the campaign on Patrick's thread and hopefully there will be hats raining down if he wins his third Worlds title in Canada.

BTW, Kurt is a big hat lover, so much so his wife complains about they taking up too much room in the house.

Originally Posted by SkateFiguring

Kurt's excuse is that his head needs the protection, from the sun in the summer and the cold in the winter.

I completely forgot that Clay performed in "Spamalot." We haven't seen him in it, but we've seen the show 3 times (once in NY), twice locally - Love it to pieces!

Another random thought, especially for those of us who would like to be thought of as "honourary" Canadians. On one of our trips to Canada, I came across a very funny book called "Fakin' It." It's advice on how to pretend you're Canadian. On another visit to Toronto, I got an interesting dictionary called, "Canajan, Eh?" - complete with pronunciation of essential Canadian things.

A friend of mine says there's a dictionary of "Strine," which is (if you hear the accent in your mind) Australian ('stralian). I'll have to bone up on Canajan so I can take my citizenship test.

On another front, I reluctantly concede that we can't have octagonal passports. They'll look like stop signs. I suppose we can make do with hexagons, which are more geometrically significant anyway. They tessellate. All of our passports can fit together with no spaces when we put them on the table of the border welcoming committee. Hmmm. Where exactly is our border, anyway?

A further thought. We should give knighthoods. How does Sir Kurt sound? Sir Kurt and Lady Sonia.